RUSSIA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls on Palestinian militants to free an Israeli soldier and urges Israel to show restraint during visit to Moscow by Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni

Record ID: 398127

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls on Palestinian militants to free an Israeli soldier and urges Israel to show restraint during visit to Moscow by Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni
  • Date: 3rd July 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER TZIPI LIVNI SAYING: "I hesitated about coming to Russia at this difficult time, but I decided to come because we believe that Russia's role in this situation could be very important."
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAB4ZHP9WY1WYNE6FX225QWHHY6
  • Story Text: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Palestinian militants on Monday (July 3) to free an Israeli soldier while urging Israel to show restraint in its offensive in Gaza.
    The comments came after visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lavrov in Moscow.
    "Unfortunately again we see a spiral of violence which needs to be stopped by all means and to do this we need restraint and wisdom from both sides, and we hope they will both show it," Lavrov said after the meeting.
    "The main thing now is to have the Israeli soldier freed. We are trying to facilitate this through every channel we have," he continued, adding that he expected the Palestinians to stop shelling Israeli towns, referring to daily cross-border rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip that have caused few casualties.
    Israel has said no one in the Hamas-led government is immune from attack after the abduction of Corporal Gilad Shalit by gunmen in a cross-border raid on June 25.
    Palestinian militants gave Israel less than 24 hours on Monday to meet their demand to release Palestinian prisoners, threatening unspecified consequences if they refused.
    Livni said Lavrov had sent "a much needed signal" and that she had debated whether to come to Moscow at such an important time.
    "I hesitated about coming to Russia at this difficult time, but I decided to come because we believe that Russia's role in this situation could be very important," Livni.
    Livni thanked Lavrov for sending what she called a "much-needed signal" about the necessity of freeing the soldier.
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